Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and NATO chief Mark Rutte vowed Wednesday to further deepen military ties while stressing the need to tackle together growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
Japan, which has stepped up defence ties with the United States, its key ally, and other friendly nations in the Indo-Pacific, has also sought closer ties with NATO, fearing that Russia's invasion of Ukraine could embolden China's assertiveness in the region.
“A stronger NATO will benefit Japan greatly,” Ishiba told a joint news conference after his talks with Rutte, who was in Japan for the first time since becoming secretary general of the organisation in October.
In a joint statement released after their talks, Ishiba and Rutte said strengthening defence industrial cooperation is “a shared priority” and that they plan to focus on developing dual-use and advanced technologies while enhancing their standardisation.
